Getting hot in the Gulf

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Trump is a businessman, and he knows wars are expensive. He knows he will be re-elected on the money he spends at home, not the money he spends overseas. I bet even now, someone is pointing out to the Saudis that they don't have Rivet Joint, and wouldn't that be great for spotting cruise missile launch sites? Only a billion for three, Squire. Feel the quality.
For that matter, Putin is the same; he's offered to sell the Saudis S-400, not offered to start a war on their behalf either.

[TheGreenGoblin]

Trump is a businessman, and he knows wars are expensive. He knows he will be re-elected on the money he spends at home, not the money he spends overseas. I bet even now, someone is pointing out to the Saudis that they don't have Rivet Joint, and wouldn't that be great for spotting cruise missile launch sites? Only a billion for three, Squire. Feel the quality.
For that matter, Putin is the same; he's offered to sell the Saudis S-400, not offered to start a war on their behalf either.

I guess and hope you are right.

Perhaps BAE can squeeze in a couple more Typhoons on top of the Rivet Joint deal.

Where is old Dell Boy or Flash Harry when you need them?

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Pssst!
Wanna buy a stereo, squire?
Maybe a cruise missile or two?
Much cheapness!

Capture666.JPG (70.45 KiB) Viewed 264 times

[TheGreenGoblin]

Just laughed out loud and done the elephant trick with my tea!

[Undried Plum]

Very popular in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan in the 1980s.



Used by Marwan Khreesat to build the Lockerbie bomb in 1988.

[ian16th]

I noticed today that the Saudi government was referred to as 'a Regime'! By Sky News.

[BenThere]

My preliminary read on the attack on Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure is that Iran is likely behind it. I don't think Israel has any interest in provoking a false flag war, as has been suggested here, risking the budding relations between them and the Saudis in opposition to Iran. Further, the idea that it is 'about the oil' no longer applies to the US.

But it does apply to Europe and Asia where most Middle Eastern oil flows. American opinion, I gather, is reveling in the new idea that this time it won't be us intervening at great cost to keep a lid on the repetitive crises that emerge around the Gulf, and the oil that comes from there is no longer our lifeblood.

American interest lies in keeping Saudi Arabia in the fight against Iran; supplying them with all the arms and training they need while also sending them the bill; minimizing tensions between Israel and its surrounding Sunni neighbors as they fight the Iran-supported, non-state actors in Gaza, Syria and Lebanon; and assuring those allies who have a stake in the outcome that we will maintain the military to back them up should it become necessary. But it's their fight, not ours.

I suspect some sort of short-term attack on Iranian value targets such as refineries, oil shipping terminals, and perhaps even nuclear facilities, is under serious consideration in the US corridors of power, with the purpose of delivering a 'knock it off' message the Iranian regime will understand. I'd like to see some coordinated efforts to undermine the Iranian regime domestically to augment the sanctions squeeze we are already applying. And I don't believe the Mullahs are very popular in Iran these days, except within the Revolutionary Guard and other elements with money, governmental power and influence, and the jack boot force of tyranny.

Thankfully, President Trump has no illusions about troops in Iran or trying to defeat its regime, then nation-build a democracy. That's up to Iranians to do.

This story probably has a way to go, with UN Security Council sessions playing a part. It'll also be interesting to see China, Japan and Europe reacting to the reality of their energy security being at risk if supply is choked by this crises without the US standing by to intervene to keep the oil flowing.

[TheGreenGoblin]

Thankfully, President Trump has no illusions about troops in Iran or trying to defeat its regime, then nation-build a democracy. That's up to Iranians to do.

That at least does make sense! In so far as a stopped clock is right in its own GMT based time frame twice a day then I give Don his due on not wanting to get bogged down in some needless war.

"I suspect some sort of short-term attack on Iranian value targets such as refineries, oil shipping terminals, and perhaps even nuclear facilities, is under serious consideration in the US corridors of power, with the purpose of delivering a 'knock it off' message the Iranian regime will understand. I'd like to see some coordinated efforts to undermine the Iranian regime domestically to augment the sanctions squeeze we are already applying. And I don't believe the Mullahs are very popular in Iran these days, except within the Revolutionary Guard and other elements with money, governmental power and influence, and the jack boot force of tyranny."

While the Mullahs may not be popular in intelligent circles internally, the Iranians are a proud nation and will be united against external aggression from wherever it comes. Some half-witted attack will only solidify their unity.

The sanctions have gone far enough. They are now counterproductive and trying to ratchet up the economic pressure will only result in the potential for gross miscalculations on both sides. In this sense I suspect Trump's natural instincts might lead him to make the right decisions and hold short of letting slip the dogs of war.

On the other side we have Nethanyahu slavering like a dog with a porcupine quill in its maw trying pull off a diversionary smokescreen to avoid further investigation of his corruption by hanging onto power. Watch this space folks, it ain't gonna be pretty and we have Benny Gants vying in the same mind space there in Israel too (not BenThere I mean, although I guess he could be Mr Gants... I guess...).

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

The sanctions have gone far enough.

Have the Iranians stopped sponsoring terrorism?

[TheGreenGoblin]

The sanctions have gone far enough.

Have the Iranians stopped sponsoring terrorism?

Have the British, the Americans, the Russians...etc. don't give me that *****...

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

I'm not.
The sanctions were imposed partly because Iran sponsors proxy wars and terrorists. That's in the US Act and both parties supported it.
I'm not justifying it, or saying everyone else doesn't do it also, I'm just stating the fact of the matter.

And as far as the US and its allies (i.e. Israel) are concerned, I don't think they are counterproductive.

[TheGreenGoblin]

I'm not justifying it, or saying everyone else doesn't do it also, I'm just stating the fact of the matter.

That's why it is easier to perform an aerial confabulation, math and all, to release ordinance at the right place in space and time and not see what you have wrought. I am only harsh because I know you know of what you speak and I am fighting with myself, not you!

[Undried Plum]

America's siege warfare against the Iranian people has been going on for 40 years.

It started when the Iranian people threw UKUSA's puppet strutting peacock dictator out and they re-instated the democracy that was overthrown by the SIS/CIA coup of 1953.

Saudi hostility to the Persians goes way back. Centuries, not decades.

I looked carefully at the ***** that the Saudi spokesman produced yesterday and it was laughable. They showed wreckage that was very clearly that of the Yemeni Quds missile (the rounded fins are very distinctive) which was labelled as being that of the quite different Iranian Soumar. The wreckage of the Quds found at the target site is identical to the wreckage of the crashed missile which was found in North West Saudi.

As for Abqaiq being out of range of Houthi held territory in Yemen, that may or may not be true. It's irrelevant anyway as the missiles for this attack were clearly fired from Southern Iraq, just like previous one such as the attacks on Tapline etc.

The Houthis have already attacked Abu Dhabi from Yemen last year, a distance of well over a thousand kilometers, as well as the Shayba field on the Saudi/UAE border last month, so I think we can expect some more of these capability demonstrators from the Yemenis.

If Iran ever launches a missile attack against Saudi it will be a massive attack and quite unmistakable. It'll be an in-yer-face mass attack.

Meanwhile, about those British cluster bombs in Yemen....

[Pontius Navigator]

I noticed today that the Saudi government was referred to as 'a Regime'! By Sky News.

Are they not authoritarian?

[Pontius Navigator]

American interest lies in . . . supplying them with all the arms and training they need while also sending them the bill

As said my daughter would say, all the gear, no idea.

[ian16th]

I noticed today that the Saudi government was referred to as 'a Regime'! By Sky News.

Are they not authoritarian?

Yes, but not my poorly described point.

The term is usually used in conjunction with 'illegitimate' or 'change'!

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Yes, it's the pejorative context they would object to, not the literal meaning.

[Slasher]

A lot of Saudis, esp the younger set, hate having their country named after these buggers. If it wasn’t for the handouts from oil there would’ve been a revolution yonks ago and probably called it Lawrence Arabia instead.

[Undried Plum]

If it hadn't been for that bastard Philby, El Orrance would have ensured the continuation of the Hashemite kings of Arabia and the syphilitic Saud camel shaggers would have gone back into obscurity where they belong.

Bastard Philby sold out to the Septics and arranged for SoCal (later in a deal with Texaco:- AramCo) to peel what is now "Saudi" Arabia off the British Empire and to have it absorbed by the fascist American empire. Bastard.

[Rwy in Sight]

May I point out that after 1944 the British Empire was weak enough to leave vast areas of its former territory and areas of interest to be run / handled by the big Cousin.